Kitchen Cabinet Lighting - Getting It Right

Getting the lighting right in your kitchen is crucial to making your time spent in the kitchen more efficient and more enjoyable. It probably deserves more consideration than that given to the bedroom or lounge.

Consider the colour, finish and size of whatever you choose, as well as the style. Will they take energy-efficient bulbs? Do you want dimmers? Think about how you use lighting, does your family leave the lights on all day, or are they pretty good at switching the light off as they leave a room? LEDs cost more upfront but will substantially reduce the cost of your electricity bills.

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Consider the layout of your kitchen - How do you expect to use your kitchen?

  • Internal cabinet lighting creates interest in the kitchen while under cabinet lighting offers effective task lighting for preparing food or cooking. The use of LED Strip lighting is very effective for under cabinet use or under the benchtop of an island bar to provide soft evening mood lighting.
  • The Island bar or dining table are so often used for more than just eating. Many other tasks like homework are conducted here, so consider a mix of lighting, in addition to recessed downlights, feature a pendant style of light over the centre of the space. Backlighting the bar back panel on the island bar is incredibly effective, particularly in the evening.
  • Downlights throughout the kitchen area are ideal, taking particular care with placement over the sink, cooktop and preparation area. Ideally you want an even distribution of light with little or no shadowing. After all, the kitchen is a small factory, it’s end product is food.

Finally consider dimmers, they can be a great addition to some light switches – giving you the option for softer lighting for eating or entertaining, plus the added bonus of reducing your electricity consumption.

Taking all this into consideration will help you decide what type of fixtures you want where, your designer can then draw up your wiring diagram for the electrician.